Urša Tiringer

Urša Tiringer finished her PhD in the group of Physical and Organic Chemistry under the supervisor Prof. Dr. Ingrid Milošev, at the Jožef Stefan Institute, in Ljubljana, Slovenia. During her time as a PhD student, her research focused on finding a replacement of hazardous and toxic chromate conversion coatings for corrosion protection of aluminium alloys. In her PhD hybrid sol-gel coatings were regarded as a potentially suitable replacement for chromate coatings. They were based on (3-glycidyloxypropyl) trimethoxysilane (GPTMS) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and applied on aluminium alloy 7075-T6. SiO2 nanoparticles were added to the precursors to achieve better barrier property of the coating, while Ce(NO3)3 was added to obtain an active corrosion protection and provide self-healing property of coating.

Currently she is working as a Postdoc researcher in the H2020-marie Skodowska Curie COFUND Programme LEaDing Fellows, under supervision of Prof. Arjan Mol.

Title of the Current Project: Hybrid sol-gel coatings as a replacement for chromate conversion coatings for corrosion protection of aluminium alloys

One of the promising corrosion inhibitors for aluminium alloys are also lithium-based salts.

In the present project different lithium salts will be incorporated into the hybrid sol-gel coating to obtain the leaching of lithium from coatings and generation of the protective layer in damaged areas. In addition, the mixture of different cerium / lithium salts into the hybrid sol-gel coating will be incorporated into the hybrid sol-gel coatings to obtain the synergistic effect and to improve anti-corrosion performance compared to the addition of single salts.

In the project the effect of the different chemical pre-treatments of aluminium alloys on the deposition and anti-corrosion performance of hybrid sol-gel coatings will be studied.

Finally, the adhesion between synthesized hybrid sol-gel coatings and different organic paints, as well as the resistance of such coating system against filiform corrosion will be investigated.

The work program will consist of six work packages (WPs), which are illustrated in Figure 1.

The project will significantly contribute to the understanding of lithium-based hybrid sol-gel coating and to the adhesion of such coating with different organic paints.

List of publications

  1. U. Tiringer, J. Kovač, I. Milošev, "Effect of mechanical and chemical pre-treatments on the morphology and composition of surfaces of aluminium alloys 7075-T6 and 2024-T3. Corros. Sci., vol. 119, pp. 46 ̶ 59, 2017.

  2. U. Tiringer, I. Milošev, A. Durán, Y. Castro, " Hybrid sol–gel coatings based on GPTMS/TEOS containing colloidal SiO2 and cerium nitrate for increasing corrosion protection of aluminium alloy 7075-T6. J.Sol-Gel Sci.Technol. Vol. 85, pp. 546 ̶557, 2017.

  3. U. Tiringer, Y. Castro, A Durán, I. Milošev, "Self-healing effect of Ce(NO3)3 in hybrid sol-gel coatings based on GPTMS, TEOS and SiO2 nanoparticles applied on aluminium alloy 7075-T6." J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol. 165, pp. C213-C225, 2018.

Summary